When she arrived in her native Barbados for Christmas last week, many assumed Rihanna’s boyfriend Matt Kemp would follow.

He hasn’t until now because their romance ended just before the holiday, according to American media reports.

A friend of the singer claimed they split after struggling to spend enough time together. “It happened over the last few weeks. She basically was just over it.”

Other sources said Kemp had ended it. “He (Kemp) just can't keep up with her crazy travel schedule. Matt's sick of always following after her like a puppy dog all over the world. He wants something more normal," a source told Us magazine.

Another insider said: "It was never as serious as it looked. It was always just (about) having fun."

In typical style, Ms Fenty, 22, hit the waves to get over the Los Angeles Dodgers star, also 22. She was spotted jet-skiiing and spending time with her family and friends on the beach.

Speaking about Kemp over the summer, Rihanna admitted it was struggle to uphold a long-distance relationship.

While the $5.4million-a-year player splits his time between Los Angeles and wherever the Dodgers are playing away games, the “Umbrella” singer spends most of the year living out of a suitcase travelling the world.

“It’s really difficult because we are so far from each other most of the year and we both have very demanding schedules, it gets difficult at times but it is what it is,” she said earlier in the year, describing how maintaining the relationship was difficult, what with her touring and his being based in Los Angeles.

The couple, who began dating last December, were last pictured together on November 12 in New York after Kemp joined Rihanna in Europe. He was the first man she had properly dated since splitting from ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.